


No more tricks

by usakousagi



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dean is confused, Destiel - Freeform, Eventual Smut, Gabriel has feelings he doesn't understand, Loki - Freeform, M/M, Sabriel - Freeform, Slow Burn, Trickster - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-22
Updated: 2017-12-19
Packaged: 2019-02-05 08:07:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12790341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/usakousagi/pseuds/usakousagi
Summary: Gabriel moves into the bunker and promises to not disrupt the boys' lives. There's just one problem, for some reason he can't stand to see anyone play pranks on Sam. This is a problem, because Dean lives to play pranks on Sam. Dean is confused as to why his pranks are being thwarted, Gabriel is confused as to why he cares, and Sam is oblivious.





	1. Every story has a first time

**Author's Note:**

> Canon divergence, in this universe Ellen and Jo never died, Team Free Will discovers the Men of Letters bunker by finding their grandpa's key in the storage unit Zachariah led them to, and they use the wealth of knowledge it provides to help Gabriel kill Lucifer at Elysian Fields. Rated explicit for eventual smut.

It all started when Gabriel moved into the bunker. He moved in after he killed Lucifer and exposed himself to the other pagan gods as an archangel. Sam had insisted that Gabriel needed the protection that, on earth, could only be provided by the bunker. While the idea of the powerful archangel/pagan god needing protection was debatable, he couldn’t quite bring himself to say no. Later, Dean told him not to feel bad about falling for Sam’s puppy-dog eyes, as he had never met anyone, who wasn’t evil, that could turn them down. This is also what finally completely won Dean over to the Gabe-isn’t-just-a-huge-dick team.  
The first incident occurred on Sam’s birthday. Dean, being the thoughtful big brother that he was, bought Sammy a cake from Baskin Robbins. If you were to ask him, he would insist that he forgot Sam was afraid of clowns. That he still thought Sam loved those places he would drop him off at when he was a kid. That’s why he chose a cake with a circle of ice cream scoops transformed into clowns with sugar cones for hats, but we all know that would be a lie. Dean walked into the bunker and headed to the main room. As he made his way past the stairs, he yelled, “Sammy, get your ass down here.” Gabriel and Dean had put together a small surprise party, and the room was already decorated with balloons, streamers, and all that party crap. Cas was there, having fully embraced his love of humanity and, as Dean walked by giving him a quick kiss, one human in particular. Bobby was already joining Ellen in a beer as they leaned back in their chairs waiting for Sam, and Jo was in the corner reading. Gabriel’s job had been to keep Sam from noticing their arrival, and to keep him out of the room. He had done this by challenging Sam to a series of board games in the library and soundproofing the room. He only lifted the barrier when he sensed Dean’s return, as planned.  
When Gabriel and Sam entered the room, Dean yelled, “Surprise! Dude, what’s on your face?”  
Sam grumbled something about pie-face and cheating while he grabbed some napkins from the table and started wiping his face. Cas touched his shoulder and his face was clean, which caused Sam to look at Gabriel with a glare, realizing he could have done that the whole time.  
Once he was able to see properly again, he looked around and took in the decorations and his family with a big grin, “I guess it is my birthday, huh? How are none of you on a case?”  
“Things are still a bit slow since we averted the apocalypse.” Bobby said, “Honestly, I think the monsters are still trying to figure out what the hell happened.”  
“Good, let’s hope it stays that way.” Ellen said.  
“Are you ready for cake?” Dean asked, with a mischievous smirk on his face.  
Gabriel did a double-take at the sight of that smirk. He knew that smirk. It was a trickster smirk. It barely took a thought to see Dean’s prank planned out in his mind, and Gabriel was surprised at how much it bothered him. He didn’t take the time to examine his emotions, instead deciding to turn the prank on Dean. Placing his hand in his pocket he gave a small snap and the cake in the box transformed to a beautiful fruit assortment with each fruit carved into a flower, because Gabriel knew that Sam secretly loved flowers. Just for Dean, in the corner of the box he placed a small metal airplane figure, because Sam had once explained to Gabriel the real reason Dean drove everywhere he went. When Sam opened the box, the confusion on Dean’s face was priceless, but he couldn’t say anything when Sam was giving him a big hug and thanking him for remembering that Sam doesn’t really like sweets. When he found the plane later, he was bewildered but, as he couldn’t begin to figure out who would have the motivation to put a plane in with the fruit, he chalked it up to just one of those things and moved on.


	2. Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean discovers blue hair conditioning, Gabriel gets caught.

The next time it happened, they were on a case. Dean ended up having to interview a woman at a beauty store, because some witch decided to curse the store so that anyone who made a purchase there would lose all their hair and fingernails, the witch would then sell them a “miracle-cure” in true traveling salesman style- the only catch being it took 30 years off their life. Some of the older women couldn’t survive this, and the younger ones couldn’t help but notice the change. In Dean’s investigation he discovered a hair conditioner that worked as hair dye. It required no mixing, no setting time, you just used it after you shampooed, and you got blue hair. In Dean’s defense, it really was too good to pass up.  
After they got back to the bunker, Dean slipped into Sam’s room and grabbed his conditioner bottle. Dean took it to the bathroom with him and quickly switched out the contents with the blue conditioner, before sneaking it back in to Sam’s shower caddy. He sauntered down to his room, passing Gabriel on his way. Gabe’s eyes narrowed as he caught the twinkle in Dean’s eye, he was beginning to wonder how Dean ever managed to hustle pool with such a poor poker face. He nudged Dean’s surface thoughts, as he had seen him slipping out of Sam’s room, and he discovered the trick. Once again, the thought of Sam being victim to another prank caused his heart to give a little squeeze. He waited until Dean was out of sight before slipping into Sam’s room and locating his conditioner. Strictly speaking, he didn’t need to actually go into Sam’s room to fix the conditioner, but he pretended to forget that and used the opportunity to take in the hunter’s room. With a quick snap, the conditioner was replaced with the conditioner that he himself used, which was a far better product than Sam had been using, but then Sam didn’t have access to pagans who knew how to use nature’s resources in ways chemicals could never quite reproduce. He then took in the room around him. The closet that was filled with plaid shirts made him roll his eyes, at the same time that his hands itched to grab one for himself. He couldn’t resist walking over and touching the soft comforter Sam laid under at night, not needing to press his nose to the fabric to take in the sweet crisp earthy smell that was Sam Winchester. Before he could be tempted to climb into the bed, he turned to leave and was face to face with Sam whose eyes were wide as he took in Gabriel standing next to his bed. Gabriel’s face went from a soft pink to a fully flushed red faster than he thought possible as his brain scrambled to come up with an excuse as to why he had been in the hunter’s room, caressing his blanket. As an archangel, he wasn’t used to being speechless. Several seconds passed by before Gabriel was able to fling up a mask and joke about how he made a wrong turn, and was trying to figure out why his blanket was a different color. Sam nodded and looked a little disappointed as Gabriel left. Both men told themselves that the look on each other’s faces was in their imagination, that the other man couldn’t possibly be interested in someone like him, that the other man deserved so much better than an ex-blood junkie (Sam) or an angel who couldn’t even call heaven home (Gabriel). Neither man realized that if they had the courage to say these things out loud, they were thinking exactly the same thing. But then, we wouldn’t have a story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this hair conditioner does really exist, although you do have to let it sit for about 5 minutes. It uses pigments instead of dye to change your hair color, my daughter uses it. You can buy it at Sally's Beauty Supply as well as probably a lot of different stores.


	3. Whenever it happened...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The weeks go on, and the boys slip into routine

The longer that Gabriel is in the bunker, the harder it is for him to ignore his desire to be close to Sam. At first, he tries to pass it off to himself as normal lust that any man stuck in a bunker with a Samsquatch that. along with hunting, worked out whenever he could, keeping his body chiseled to the point that would cause even the purest of nuns to have impure thoughts. However, the truth was if Gabriel wanted to relieve his pent-up frustration, he could easily snap up a sexy willing partner if sex was truly all he wanted.   
The weeks in the bunker developed a routine. On Sundays, Sam and Castiel would drag Dean and Gabriel down to the farmer’s market while both men pretended to hate the trips, taking turns commenting on the stupidity of paying extra to get fruits and vegetables outside, rather than inside in a perfectly acceptable climate-controlled grocery store. Once they arrived at the market, they would separate, Dean followed Castiel to the nearest table with honey with an indulgent smile and Gabriel followed Sam to whichever table caught his eye. Gabriel would muse about how he had been there when the earth was born, lived on its surface for longer than most beings could imagine, yet before Sam Winchester he never knew just how many types of lettuce there were. After the farmer’s market, if the weather was nice, the group would head to a patch of grass in the field outside the bunker that Castiel insisted was the greenest and eat lunch. Sam would make a salad from the vegetables he had just purchased, while Castiel would find a new recipe for honey each week, even making a vinaigrette for the salad once. Gabriel and Dean would watch all of this with wary eyes as Gabe snapped up a couple of pies and whatever form of meat they were craving that week. No matter what, though, Cas and Sam’s creations made their way onto everyone’s plates.

Mondays were work days. Either Dean or Sam would look for a case online and over breakfast they would discuss whether it was worth looking into. Sometimes, Gabriel or Cas were able to tell them right away what they were hunting, but sometimes they weren’t. Those were the times that Gabriel learned what it was to worry about someone. Being “under protection”, Sam wouldn’t allow him to come on the case with him. His only comfort was that he made all three hunters swear they would call him if they needed him.

On the weeks they managed to close a case early, Tuesdays were reserved for movies and nursing wounds. Well, movies. With two angels in the bunker, wounds didn’t last very long, although Sam and Dean both refused to allow either angel to cure their normal aches. Usually, Dean would drag Cas to their room for a movie/cuddle session, leaving Sam and Gabriel alone to fight over which movie they would watch. They could have figured out a system, traded off picking the movie, but, although neither would admit it, it felt good to get some of the tension out. Eventually, they would settle on a movie and Gabriel would snap up some snacks, popcorn for him and veggies with hummus for Sam. They always started on opposite ends of the couch with the best of intentions, but by the end of the movie elbows would brush elbows, thighs would touch, and somehow Gabriel would find an excuse to reach across Sam to grab something that Sam was certain was not there a moment ago. Occasionally, Sam would fall asleep and his head would fall on Gabriel’s shoulder. Being an archangel, Gabriel could easily place Sam in his head, but instead he would allow himself this indulgence while it lasted. 

Wednesdays brought training day. Sam and Dean were hunters after all, and they didn’t stay alive by lounging around all the time. The introduction of Gabriel to their group made training day a lot more interesting. His ability to snap up whatever they needed to train, whether it be weapons or fake monsters to fight, came in handy. Occasionally, Dean would smirk and declare it was angel fight-training time and drag Cas to the other side of the gym to begin fighting. Gabriel and Sam always hesitated, both men’s cheeks turning pink at the thought of the anticipated contact required to fight. Gabriel could have snapped up a double, but he never did. Instead he went round after round with Sam, never quite hitting him, but pinning him whenever he had the chance. 

Thursdays Dean and Castiel would disappear. Gabriel assumed they must use Thursdays as their time with each other, which made sense since Castiel was the angel of Thursdays. This left Sam and Gabriel with a rather large elephant in the room. In fact, there were times when Gabe actually considered snapping up a large pink elephant just to get some relief, but he never did it. So, Gabriel did what he was best at, he deflected. Thursdays were the days Sam Winchester was taken on adventures. The only requirement being that they always went somewhere different and never in a pattern, to protect Gabriel. They went zip-lining through the Amazon, skydived over New Zealand, visited penguins in Antartica (in a protective warm barrier, of course), basically anything that Gabriel thought would impress Sam.

Fridays and Saturdays would vary, depending on if Sam and Dean got called to a case. For some reason monsters seemed to love the weekends as much as humans do, and then the week would start over. Gabriel didn’t even notice when it happened. Maybe it didn’t happen all at once, maybe it happened in Mystery Spot when Sam pinned him to that fence, or when Sam’s hand brushed his as he passed him in the hallway, or as Sam arched back into him as they jumped from that plane, whenever it happened, Gabriel fell in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More is coming, I promise. Don't hate me.


	4. A hunter, a god, and an archangel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter shows where Sam's head is at, there is a little action and a lot of angst.

Sam couldn’t decide if having Gabriel in the bunker was his own personal heaven, or his own personal hell. He would spend hours laughing at Gabriel’s antics, filled with a warm happiness that he didn’t get very often, only to be struck with a blow to his heart as Gabriel flashed a sexy smirk at him and he remembered this was temporary. Sam wasn’t the type to fall in love gradually like Gabriel did. For him, when he made a decision he went all in. When he met Jessica he had known right away he would love her, when he started drinking demon blood it became a full-blown addiction with the first hit, when he tried to say yes to Lucifer it had taken every hunter they knew to keep him from doing it. At the mystery spot, Gabriel caught his attention. Despite being very far gone, Gabriel’s pleading got stuck in a corner of his brain. It was enough to make him start researching Loki, more specifically Loki’s victims. This is when he learned that the people that fell victim to the trickster were past redemption. Learning that the sexy god who has spent more time and effort on you than makes sense is actually not evil would be confusing for most people, but not for Sam Winchester. For Sam, it was the tipping point. The moment he realized that he loved Gabriel, who at the time he still thought was Loki. Eventually he discovered Gabriel’s true identity. His heart ached for Gabriel, at the same time it ached for another reason. If Sam thought he had very little chance to seduce a Norse god, he decided he had absolutely no chance of seducing an archangel. Even if Gabriel did give him a chance, would it damage him to be with someone so unpure? Someone who had willingly allowed demon blood to pass his lips? That’s when Sam realized his love was doomed to be unrequited. So, when Gabriel moved into the bunker, admittedly at Sam’s request, it was very bittersweet. Now, he got to see his golden eyes, his sassy smirk, his tight butt almost every day. He learned new things about Gabriel, like that Gabriel loved the water, being in Kansas so far from the nearest body of water, Gabriel had used his mojo to build on top of the bunker. To the passer-by it appeared to be nothing, the landscape went on with no interruption, but to those who knew where to whisper “fosse,” (the norse word for waterfall), they would gain access to a breathtaking haven, with a mountain you could hike covered in creeks and at least 4 waterfalls that Sam had found so far. He also learned that Gabriel liked to sleep, he didn’t need to, but he liked to. Sometimes, Sam would peek in on Gabe in the mornings and take in his curled up form breathing softly, pink in his cheeks and his hair falling over his face. The longer Gabriel stayed, the more often Sam did this until it became a daily need. Sam would wake up and get ready for his run, on his way to get a bottle of water to take with him, he would take a little detour to Gabriel’s room and carefully push the door open just enough to see him. It was a Wednesday when it happened, Sam had gotten careless, him and Dean had gotten back late from a hunt the night before and he had missed movie night and he needed to see Gabriel even though he slept in and missed his run. The routine of going to Gabriel’s room was so familiar, he didn’t consider that Gabriel might be awake. He walked to the door and slowly pushed it open before frowning as Gabriel was nowhere to be found. He pushed the door further and stepped inside without thinking. Where was his angel? The sound of a throat clearing behind him made him freeze. He turned and saw Gabriel standing in the doorway with wet tousled hair and wearing a towel around his waist. Sam’s vision tunneled. There was no sound, all he could hear was static as he watched a bead of water make it’s way from a piece of hair down Gabriel’s shoulder, to his chest, across his pecs, down his sternum, slowly curving around his abs before finally being caught by his towel. Sam wanted to taste that bead of water, he wanted to follow its path with his tongue before removing that towel he had decided he does not like at all. Gabriel was talking. Sam watched his mouth move, looking at the fullness of his lips before taking a step forward, and another, one more and he had Gabriel pinned to the wall and Sam’s lips found his in a crushing kiss. Their hands tangled together on either side of Gabriel’s head, and Sam pushed himself flush against Gabriel feeling the heat and the damp of the smaller man’s body as if it was being carved into him. He nipped Gabe’s lip and as Gabriel gasped swept his tongue inside his mouth. A moan spilled out as he tasted Gabriel for the first time. He tasted like honey and strawberries and sweetness. Gabriel pulled his hands loose from Sam’s and tangled them in Sam’s long hair tugging him back to give himself a moment to breath. As Gabriel pulled away, Sam felt like he had been doused in fire. Shame ran through him at his assault on Gabriel. He turned to leave saying he was sorry over and over. Gabriel tried to stop him, but again Sam heard nothing as he ran for the bunker door. Gabriel slumped to the ground as he heard the door slam. Clearly, Sam regretted kissing him. He had forgotten who Gabriel was for a second, forgotten he was a monster. Once he remembered, he ran. Just like Gabriel knew he would. Just like his father had done, just like anyone Gabriel tried to love. Maybe it was time to go, after all he didn’t really need the protection. With Lucifer gone, Michael didn’t care much what happened on earth, and no one else was strong enough to kill him. He could go create his own corner of the world and make it his own, hide out for a few centuries until everyone forgets who he is. Or maybe, he could make a new vessel. Change his face. Forget the one that fell in love with a hunter in plaid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know! This is the direction Sam and Gabriel are insisting on going, though! Blame them.


	5. Tricking a trickster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas and Dean attempt to help Sam and Gabriel deal with the fallout of the aborted kiss. They decide to take matters into their own hands and use the trickster's own methods to help the men see the truth.

Castiel found Gabriel an hour later, still seated on the floor wearing nothing but a towel with dry hair. He sent a quick text to Dean, “Something’s wrong with Gabriel, you might want to check on Sammy,” before sitting across from his brother. Gabriel didn’t look up when Cas sat down, he knew he was there, he just didn’t have the energy to look up. 

“I just want him to love me,” Gabriel whispered.

Castiel scooted over next to Gabriel and wrapped his arm around him. He knew when he was upset, he liked when Dean or Sam would comfort him this way, he hoped it would work for Gabriel. Gabe leaned his head over onto Cas’ shoulder and moved into the comfort of his little brother. If anyone had ever held him like this, touched him for the sole purpose of comfort and love, he couldn’t remember. Maybe before his father had left, but he tried not to think about that.

“If you are referring to Sam, he does love you,” Castiel said firmly.

This time Gabriel did look up with shock and horror in his eyes. He was horrified that Castiel could lie to him in a way he couldn’t sense it, and even more shocked that he would do so. His eyes began to glow with his grace as Castiel became very very nervous.

“Calm down, Gabriel, you can’t see it because you’re too busy trying to hide your feelings from him. That doesn’t mean that he doesn’t feel the same, it just means perhaps both of you should stop running and actually talk.”

Gabriel’s shoulders slumped as he relaxed, he still didn’t believe Sam loved him, but he believed Castiel believed it. 

“Is that what you and Dean did? Talked?”

Cas became a little flustered, “Well, umm… no… Dean had other ways of telling me how he felt. He has a hard time putting how he feels into words, but physically he has no trouble.”

Gabriel laughed loudly at his little brother’s embarrassment over revealing that Dean had apparently chose to make love to Cas rather than simply telling him he loved him. He liked Dean’s style. Maybe, if he could manage to seduce his Samsquatch he could convince him that Gabriel was worth loving. He knew he was excellent in bed, being older than the galaxy and having the ability to create willing cohorts had it’s benefits, so maybe if he could give Sam the best sex he ever had he could begin to love him. He frowned as he remembered the shame on Sam’s face as he ran after kissing Gabriel, maybe not.

While Castiel had Gabriel contemplating whether to seduce Sam or not, Dean had found Sam sitting outside the entrance to the mountain. 

“Why don’t you go inside? I know you love it in there.” Dean asked.

“I’m not really sure I’d be welcome anymore,” Sam reluctantly answered.

Dean sat next to his baby brother and nudged him with his elbow, “You want to tell me why Gabriel’s been sitting in the hallway floor for a half hour now in a towel, and why Cas thinks it has something to do with you?” 

Sam ignored the question. This didn’t surprise Dean at all, they were practically the poster children for bottle-your-shit-up-until-it-kills-you-ism. He looked over at Sammy and saw the tear tracks on his face, the shame in the way he hunched his shoulders, the longing in his eyes as he looked at the entrance. Shit. He was in love, and in true Winchester fashion had fucked up. Dean let out a long sigh. 

“Have you told him?”

Sam’s head whipped up to look at Dean in shock. He shook his head, unable to speak as he tried to wrap his head around Dean’s sudden perceptiveness. It must be Cas, since they’ve been together Dean’s slowly been becoming more open emotionally and it must help him see the symptoms of love in others as well. Dean sighed again and put an arm around his not-so-little brother. Sammy would talk when he was ready, right now he would join him at staring at an entrance neither one could see and letting their asses go numb on the cold ground.

The next day was Thursday. Dean and Cas usually used this time to spend together, sometimes finding a private room away from the bunker to just enjoy each other, other times walking on the beach, or visiting diners all over the world. Today, however, they had work to do. After the cake and the blue conditioner had both failed, Dean had suspected the trickster had suddenly become the anti-trickster for whatever reason. Now he knew it was because of his love of Sammy, so he decided that things needed to be taken to a new level. The night before, while Sam and Gabriel moped in their respective rooms, Dean and Cas had been scouring the library for assistance. It took them most of the night, and calling in a favor Crowley owed them, but everything was set up. Now, all they had to do was put the plan in action. Tricking a trickster god would take a level of stealth that Dean had never put into his pranks, before. 

When Sam and Gabriel woke up, they realized that they were not in their beds at the bunker. Several things tipped them off, including the fact that they were in a king size bed together, and that there were windows. Before panic could fully set in, Dean and Cas appeared at the end of their bed. 

“We’re sorry it had to come to this,” Cas started.  
“Maybe you are,” Dean mumbled.  
“Anyways, you are in a small cottage that has been placed inside the bunker,” Cas continued, “the windows are to help you feel a little less trapped, the scenery is of course fake, the warding however, I assure you, is very real. You will not be able to leave here until the spell is completed. In order to break the spell, the truth must be told in full on both sides.” You will notice that there is no other furniture in the house. A table and 2 chairs will appear when you fix a meal, after your meal is done they will disappear. There is a bathroom, however if your thought is to hide from each other in there, this is a smart spell- it knows when you require the privacy and when you don’t. Because we do love you both, if you are panicking and need the alone time it will allow you the time to calm down. If you can’t calm down one of us will be called to access the situation and see if you need further assistance.” We will come in and check on you every so often, and you can pray to me if you need us, but for the most part, you will be alone.”

With that statement, Castiel and Dean disappeared. Sam and Gabriel were both sitting up in the bed with shocked expressions on their faces. Their brothers coming up with a trick so elaborate and well planned out blew their minds. Not to mention the fact that Gabriel couldn’t escape, and trust me he had already tried several times as Castiel was making his speech. Gabriel looked over at Sam, as he tried to figure out what to do. Maybe he should try to seduce him… If Sam rejected him, though could he handle that? Worse, what if they did have sex and Sam wanted nothing to do with him afterwards? To give himself over to Sam that way would mean so much more than the mindless, sometimes literally, conquests Gabriel was used to. He blinked as he tried to figure out exactly what to do. Sam’s eyes met Gabriel’s for a moment before Sam looked down in shame. This is the man he had assaulted yesterday. The man that had caused every nerve cell inside him to scream MINE and reach out to claim, to mark him. If Gabriel hadn’t pulled him back, would he have stopped? Would he have hurt Gabriel in a way that no one should ever be hurt? His self-loathing told him it was possible, although in reality he would never do something like that. Gabriel was the first to break the silence.

“So, Sammy, guess it’s you and me for awhile, what are you making me for breakfast?” he asked with a lightness to his voice that he didn’t feel.

Sam wasn’t sure how to answer, had been expecting Gabriel to berate him for his behavior the day before, when his brain wouldn’t form a whole sentence he muttered, “eggs,” and went to the kitchen to cook. It was the least he could do. Gabriel’s eyes followed his tall muscular form, heat pooled in his stomach as the white shirt Sam slept in clung to the muscles in his back. When Sam reached the kitchen and reached up to pull the coffee pot down, his shirt came up and Gabriel caught a glimpse of just how low the dark blue plaid pajama pants were slung on Sam’s hips and suddenly he had a problem under the sheets. Hopefully, it would go away by the time breakfast was ready. If this was a hint as to what his time here would be like, Gabriel worried his secret would be revealed like Dean and Cas obviously wanted. At first, he had thought that as he and Sam refused to spill secrets eventually they would have to let them out, but as Sam turned around and caught his eye and his heart gave a little jump, he realized just how much trouble he was in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not where I saw this fic going at all when I first started it, but Cas and Dean insisted on getting involved. comments/critiques are welcome. This is my first time writing in this format, so I hope people are reading and enjoying the story.


	6. Poor self-esteem for all

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day one, Gabriel and Sam begin to deal with their close quarters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in posting, I was out of town. I have another chapter coming later today.

The first day, Sam and Gabriel didn’t talk much at all. Luckily, they had been provided with a tv, so Sam put in Harry Potter, because he knew they could use it as a marathon and a reason not to talk. They both sat on the floor on opposite sides of the bed to watch the movies. When lunchtime came, Gabriel snapped up a giant Belgium waffle for himself and a salad for Sam which they ate while watching Prisoner of Azkaban. Both men stared at the tv, pretending to watch it while self-deprecating thoughts filled their heads. Sam couldn’t stop thinking about how he had forced himself on Gabriel, progressing on to the reason for his presence in Gabriel’s room in what he now told himself was very stalkerish behavior. It was easy to hate himself. He had been doing it for years, now there was another person he had let himself get close to that suffered from the curse of knowing Sam Winchester. He was just glad he had stopped himself when he had, because God knows everytime he did allow himself to get physical with someone it had not turned out well for the other person. Just look at Jessica, she didn’t deserve to be burned alive. That was his fault. If it wasn’t for him, that demon would have never even known she existed. Gabriel was in enough danger already, from helping him and Dean stop the apocalypse. Sam hated himself for that, too. He’s the one that went to Gabriel to ask for help, partially to have an excuse to see him again. If he had tried harder, he could have found another way to stop Michael and Lucifer.

On the other side of the bed, Gabriel’s thoughts weren’t much better. The main difference being that he had been alive much longer than Sam had, so he had more actions he could blame for bringing them to this moment. He thought back to the moment he left heaven. Lucifer had been locked in the cage, Michael was a shell of the angel he had been before. Without his brother, Michael’s once loving nature had turned to ash. His face so expressionless that at times it seemed as if it were made of stone. Dad stuck around for a few more years, but as humanity continued to disappoint him, he left. With his departure, the last bit of hope that heaven would return to the bright beautiful place it had once been also left for Gabriel. So, he faked his death and ran away to the pagans. What would have happened if he had stayed? Could he have coaxed Michael into finding the compassion that was locked somewhere deep inside his grace? Could he have kept him and the other angels from manipulating the bloodlines to start the apocalypse early? If he had done those things, Sam wouldn’t have had the childhood he did. He would have grown up with a mother that loved him, with no demons after him. Never having to know what went bump in the night, much less having to hunt it. Now, he was trapped in this life. Knowing what was out there, and not being able to let innocent people die so that he could live a normal, safe life. Stuck in a spell with an archangel turned pagan god, who’s killed more people than he could count, albeit for good reasons. An archangel that, in order to break the spell, will have to confess his love to him and put him in the position of having to tell him how much that disgusts him. He knew Sam hated hurting anyone, so telling Gabriel that he could never feel the same would take a toll on him, make him feel guilty when he had no reason to. He could only hope Sam would realize quickly that he doesn’t have to feel guilty for not loving a monster.


	7. Bedtime is inevitable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel and Sam finally face the dilemma of their only being one bed, and the consequences of years of pent-up frustration.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, there will finally be smut. If you do not want to read smut, stop here, but I hope you don't stop!

Gabriel and Sam waited as long as they could before going to bed. They got about halfway through the Harry Potter movies, about 10 hours, before Sam was so exhausted that even his thoughts were slurred. They had to deal with the bed predicament. Gabriel graciously offered to take the floor since he technically didn’t need to sleep. Sam tried to argue, but was simply too tired to do so. He crawled into bed as Gabriel snapped himself up some bedding for the floor. They laid down and tried to get comfortable. As soon as Gabriel started to doze off, his bedding disappeared. His yelp startled Sam and jolted him awake. He looked over to see a very frustrated Gabriel laying on the floor rubbing his head. He sighed and made room for Gabriel on the bed. Gabriel hesitated before reluctantly climbing into the bed. Sam’s cheeks turned red as he watched Gabriel snuggle under the covers next to him and curl up. His heart felt warm at the thought of this being his life, going to bed with the man he loves. Then his eyes began to water as he remembered this wasn’t actually his life, and his love wasn’t returned. He turned over so that Gabriel wouldn’t catch him and start asking questions. He probably wouldn’t have been able to fall asleep had he not been so exhausted. Dean and Castiel had woken them around 5am for their trick, following that up with cooking, adapting his workout routine to match the small confined space he was now in, and then 10 hours of movies had him falling asleep in minutes. Gabriel laid awake for quite a bit longer. He watched as Sam’s hair fell into place and his body relaxed. He listened as Sam’s breathing evened out and heard his own breathing hitch as Sam turned in his sleep to face Gabriel and the blanket slipped down over his hips. Sam was wearing a soft navy blue t shirt and when he turned it was pulled down under him, pulling it tight across his chest and pulling it slightly up revealing a small portion of smooth skin. Gabriel completely stopped breathing as he stared at that skin. His mouth watered as all he could picture was putting his mouth on that skin. Licking and nipping his way across Sam’s hips as he used his right hand to slide under Sam’s shirt pulling it up while he caressed his hot chiseled body. He would worship that body and the man in it. Sam deserved a lifetime of worship, he deserved to be made immortal and have everything he wanted while Gabriel worshipped him day and night. But, Gabriel didn’t deserve to be the one to worship Sam. So, instead of reaching over and touching that skin he turned away to face the bathroom and did something he never did- he used his grace to force his body to shut down and go to sleep. At least sleep would help him pass the time and perhaps keep him from reaching out to Sam.

Sam began to wake up slowly the next morning. He was wrapped around a soft warm body that had begun to stir. In his half-awake state he realized that what had woken him up was his body’s reaction to the slow movements Gabriel was making against him. He wasn’t awake enough to realize this wasn’t a dream, all he knew was that he had Gabriel in his arms and that Gabriel’s firm round ass was pushing against his very hard cock. Sam tightened his grip around Gabriel and rolled his hips into him with a soft moan. Gabriel reacted with his own moan and by pressing backwards into Sam. Both men’s eyes were closed in a stage between the waking world and the sleeping world as Sam’s hand began to slowly move over Gabriel’s body as he continued to roll his hips into him. Gabriel reached back and turned his head to capture Sam’s mouth. Sam gasped and Gabriel tangled his tongue with Sam’s. Soon he twisted his whole body around and they slotted together with their hips lined up. Both men’s eyes flew open as their hard cocks made contact. At this point they were both too far gone to do anything to stop what was happening. Gabriel tugged Sam’s hair back and moved his mouth down his neck, biting and sucking as he rolled his hips into Sam. Sam moaned and used both hands to pull Gabriel into him. They grinded together as hands explored and lips moved together and over hot smooth skin. Sam came first as he called out Gabriel’s name sending him over the edge. Gabriel felt hope fill him as he smiled up at Sam and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. Sam didn’t know how to feel, his euphoria was tainted by his fear of hurting Gabriel, of not being good enough. “unclean” ran through his head as he pulled away and stumbled to the bathroom. 

He avoided the mirror and turned the water on full blast as he stripped his sticky clothes from his body. He sat down in the bathtub and curled up as the shower ran over his body. Tears spilled over as he thought over what had just happened. Gabriel had been asleep and Sam’s body had taken over molesting him and tricking him into a sexual encounter. What would the ramifications be? He knew Gabriel wasn’t on good terms with heaven, but would his interaction with Lucifer’s personal vessel make it where his grace could be completely taken? Not to mention, Sam’s history of using demon blood and unholy powers. He breathed through the tears and stood up to wash his sins from his hair and body, glad to find his shower caddy in the bathroom. He shampooed and rubbed conditioner through his hair, leaving it to soak as he scrubbed Gabriel’s scent from his body. He hoped it would give him the courage to apologize to Gabriel for what had happened. After he rinsed the conditioner from his hair, he took a deep breath and turned off the water. He mindlessly dried off before realizing he had not brought clothes into the bathroom with him. He cursed and wrapped the towel around his waist before opening the door and stepping out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise a lighter chapter is coming.


	8. Cushions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Confessions begin, there's always more to the story, though, and the boys aren't quite willing to share the whole truth, yet.

While Sam was in the shower, Gabriel had been doing some thinking of his own. His first instinct was to shut down, but there was obviously something there for Sam as well. Now that he had gotten to touch Sam, to feel him on his skin, to taste him and see the look in his eyes as he came, he wouldn’t be able to leave. Not unless Sam asked him to, because if he was honest he would do anything for Sam. He knew that Sam objected to Gabriel’s being a trickster. He knew Sam would never forgive him for mystery spot, but maybe he could allow a purely physical relationship. Of course, for Gabriel it would be much more than that, but Sam didn’t have to know that. Before he could get any further in his thoughts, Sam stepped out of the bathroom and Gabriel stopped breathing, then immediately burst into laughter. Sam stopped spiraling momentarily to become completely confused. 

“I see Dean finally got past me with that conditioner,” Gabriel said when he could finally breathe again, wiping away tears. “Did you happen to look in the mirror on your way out of the bathroom?”

Sam ran back into the bathroom and there was a silent pause before Gabriel heard cursing, “What the fuck is this? How is my hair blue??? What conditioner are you talking about Gabriel? Change it back!”

Gabriel stood up and walked over to the bathroom door, leaning on the doorway with one hip and crossing his arms, “Dean has been trying to prank you with that conditioner for months, it alters the pigment in your hair to change the color without dying it. I caught him and changed your conditioner back to normal several times, well to a better conditioner that wouldn’t turn your hair blue. In the confusion of being caught in this spell, he finally managed to slip it past me.”

Sam looked at Gabriel even more confused than before, Dean playing a prank on him was to be expected, a trickster god stopping it however… “Why did you stop him? And why not tell me?”

At being questioned, Gabriel turned to walk away, but Sam grabbed his arm and made him turn. The question in his eyes made Gabriel sigh, knowing he couldn’t deny Sam the answer he wanted, “I guess, well, I just didn’t want to see you have to deal with any more tricks… After what I did to you at mystery spot and the tv thing… I kinda felt like you had lived through more than your fair share of tricks, and didn’t deserve to keep having these things happen to you. So, if it was within my power to stop it, I would.”

He conveniently didn’t answer the second part of Sam’s question, but Sam didn’t press him. Instead, Sam’s face softened and he asked Gabriel if after he got dressed would he like to join him for breakfast. Gabriel gave a small nod and traded places with Sam in the bathroom to take his own shower. He smiled as he turned the water on, realizing both he and Sam had forgotten about Gabriel attempting to change Sam’s hair back to normal with Gabriel’s confession. If he was honest with himself the dark blue looked kinda hot on Sam, but then he imagined most things would look hot on Sam. Hell, Sam could put on one of those floral pants suits from the 1970’s and still look hot as fuck. He quickly finished up his shower and snapped himself up some clothes, as much as he wanted a repeat of what happened the last time Sam saw him in a towel, at least the part before he ran away, he felt maybe they should talk first.

While Gabriel was showering, Sam was making breakfast. He knew Gabriel loved sweets, but couldn’t bring himself to make the kind of breakfast Gabriel normally consumed, instead chopping up some fruit and placed a can of whipped cream next to Gabriel’s plate, and a bowl of yogurt next to his own. He leaned against the counter and watched the bathroom door while sipping on his coffee. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to see Gabriel come out in clothes or in the towel, but he knew he wouldn’t chance missing another glimpse of the archangel’s beautiful body if he had the chance. When the voice in the back of his head whispered, “not good enough,” he pushed it away. Obviously, Gabriel thought there was something redeemable in Sam if he was willing to put effort into protecting him from something as harmless as blue hair. He frowned as he remembered that that particular problem hadn’t been dealt with and pushed his hand through his hair right as the door opened. Sam’s mouth went dry when he saw Gabriel. He was wearing clothes, but damn he wore them well. He came out in a tight bright green t-shirt that said, “I invented the platypus,” and a pair of tight jeans that hugged all the right places, and Sam knew they would do the same on Gabriel’s backside as well. 

He shook his head a little to clear it and said, “Well that makes sense,” pointing at Gabe’s shirt.

“What? Oh, the shirt. I just snapped something out of my closet at the bunker. I like to wear this to see the confusion on people’s faces, no one has ever had the courage to ask what I mean by it, though.”

Sam laughed, “Well, I don’t have to ask. If I would have thought about it, it would have been obvious that was a trickster job. Speaking of tricks, mind changing my hair back to normal?”

Gabriel looked at Sam, “Idk, Samsquatch, I think I like it this way, maybe you should try it out for awhile.”

When Sam looked panicked, Gabriel snapped his fingers and changed his hair back. Joking was one thing, but actually distressing Sam was another. He looked over at the breakfast Sam had prepared and grinned. It appeared Sam was trying to get him to eat a little healthier, but knew that wasn’t happening without some whipped cream. He grabbed some coffee and both men sat down at the table, chairs appearing as they walked over. They ate in silence, but for the first time since they arrived in the cottage, it wasn’t uncomfortable. Sam finished first, not having eaten quite as much fruit as Gabriel, and watched the angel finish his fruit. Gabriel was literally spraying whipped cream on every layer of fruit, so he would finish a few pieces, and as soon as more fruit was exposed that wasn’t completely coated in whipped cream, he would begin spraying again. Sam crinkled his nose at the thought of all that sugar going into his body. It made him want to run 5 miles just watching. When Gabriel was finished he looked up at Sam, and was taken aback by the other man’s gaze. He had been so engrossed in his breakfast, he hadn’t realized Sam had finished his own breakfast and was watching him.

Clearing his throat, Gabriel said, “I think we should talk.”

Sam actually groaned, “You’re right, but I don’t want you to be. I’m sorry that you woke up the way you did… I didn’t mean to… I was still asleep, and I acted without thinking… I just… wanted…”

Gabriel grinned, now they were getting somewhere. “I’m not sorry, Sammy. I may have been asleep, but not for long, and I was a completely willing participant. In fact, you could have gone much further than you did and I would have been 100% on board. What I need to know is, do you plan on this happening again, and next time can we be awake?”

Sam was in shock. He honestly didn’t know how to respond. He never thought that Gabriel would be interested in him in any way. When Gabriel’s smile started to fade, he realized he needed to answer him, “Yes! No! I mean… What about my past? Wouldn’t that be… I don’t know, unhealthy for you? Being an angel… with me being Satan’s vessel, and you know, the other stuff…” 

Sam got quieter the longer he spoke, and Gabriel swore that if he stared at the table any harder holes would begin burning in it. He couldn’t believe that was what was holding Sam back. He took Sam’s hand and tugged until he looked Gabriel in the eyes.

“Sam, no. Your past does not affect me at all, and being unfortunate enough to be my brother’s vessel has nothing to do with who you are. Besides, he’s dead. Is that what made you run after we kissed? I thought it was… well… because I’m a monster.” At that last, Gabriel gave a self-deprecating chuckle and pulled away from Sam.

King of deflection, Gabriel snapped the dishes from the table and started to get out of the chair, right as both chairs disappeared and the men hit the floor. 

“Motherfuckers! Castiel! At least next time put some damn cushions underneath the chairs.” Gabriel yelled, rubbing his butt before yelping as cushions appeared underneath them. “Smartass,” he mumbled. 

Apparently, this was the end of Sam’s sanity as he completely lost it. He folded over wheezing as he laughed so hard he couldn’t breathe. He rolled backwards onto the floor, laughing while occasionally saying the word ‘cushions’ in between breaths. For a moment, Gabriel stared before joining in. After several minutes they both could breathe again, and turned to look at each other. 

Sam reached over and touched Gabriel’s face, pulling him close and pressing a soft kiss to his lips, “you’re not a monster,” he whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt some silliness was overdue, and some communication. I know, no smut, but I promise more will come.


	9. A prayer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the boys have a good day together, and it ends with a prayer.

Sam lost track of how long they laid there on the floor, comfortable together for once. Just enjoying the feeling of being able to be next to Gabriel like this, to feel as though he has a chance to have something more with him, that he might be deemed worthy enough to be with this amazing man. Gabriel, being an angel, did not lose track of time. He counted it. He embraced every second. Sam kissed him for 5 seconds. He touched his face for 10. When Sam faced the ceiling again it took him approximately 25 seconds to move his hand next to Gabriel’s hand so that they were touching. 1 minute later, Sam linked his hand together with Gabriel’s. 1 minute and 13 seconds later Sam sighed a happy sigh. 3 more minutes passed before Sam let go of his hand and turned on his side to face Gabriel. After another 30 seconds, Sam suggested they finish their Harry Potter marathon. This time, they sat side by side on the floor, leaning on the bed. They brought the cushions over to sit on, but since this was still new and they hadn’t truly talked about where this was going, neither one suggested the bed. 

Today’s marathon went a little different than the day before. This time they laughed and talked. Sam pointed out the differences between the books and the movies, Gabriel pretended not to have read the books and called Sam a nerd with a secret smile. They debated over why Peeves was left out of the movies, and Sam laughed far louder than Gabriel thought was necessary when he revealed that his favorite characters were the Weasley twins. They took a break for lunch and debated on which houses they would be in. Sam thought he would be in Ravenclaw, but Gabriel pointed out that considering he was a hunter he would definitely have been in Gryffindor. Figuring out what house Gabriel would be in took more discussion, though. Eventually they decided that Gabriel would have ended up picking Hufflepuff, and since they knew the sorting hat would let him choose that put an end to that discussion. They went back and finished the rest of the movies, and Sam definitely didn’t cry at the end as he watched the characters with their families enjoying their happy ending. 

As they got ready for bed that night, there was a different tension in the air. Both men now knew that the other was on board for being intimate, and had no idea how to handle this new information. Finally, the tension in the air was broken when Gabriel suddenly started laughing for no apparent reason. After he could breathe again, he enlightened Sam.

“I was just thinking about the elephant in the room, and I realized it wasn’t an elephant, it was a moose!” With that he started laughing again, leaving Sam trying to decide if he was confused, offended, or amused.

Once Gabriel stopped laughing, Sam responded, “Obviously, we should talk about this. I mean, I don’t know if I’m really ready to talk about what all of this means, or rush into having mindless sex with you, but I think it’s clear that if something were to happen naturally I wouldn’t object.”

“That sounds good to me for now, Samsquatch, although I can’t say I’m not hoping that I’ll be able to seduce you into some mindless sex in the future.” Gabriel said with a wink, before sashaying to the bathroom to change.

Sam almost sent a prayer up to give him the strength to deal with Gabriel, before he realized that praying about wanting to have sex with an angel might not actually be the best idea. He climbed into bed and picked up the book Gabriel had snapped up for him. It was the latest John Greene novel, he had been meaning to read it, but hadn’t had the time. Truthfully, he didn’t know how much of it he was going to get through while he was here, but at least it was a distraction. Gabriel came out and snapped up some headphones that didn’t seem to be attached to anything as he laid down. Sam tried not to be distracted by the angel’s humming, or by the fact that as he hummed he seemed to be perfectly content with staring into space without moving. He had never thought of Gabriel as a person who was able to do something relaxing. Apparently, he was wrong. Eventually, he got into the book and was able to lose himself in the world the author had created. When he finally closed the book after about an hour he found Gabriel studying him. He realized then that the humming had stopped some time ago, but his brain hadn’t processed it, because he was so into the book. He decided not to say anything, and instead settled for quietly saying goodnight and turning the lamp off. Before he could turn over, he heard Gabriel ask softly, “Can I kiss you goodnight?” Sam just nodded, and Gabriel reached up softly, placing his hand on Sam’s cheek, then gently rubbing his thumb across Sam’s skin, before moving his hand up into Sam’s hair and pulling him down into a kiss. Sam moaned into Gabriel’s mouth, lost in the tenderness he felt pouring through the kiss. He reached over and placed his hand on Gabriel’s hip, not trusting himself to touch Gabriel anywhere else. Gabriel nipped his lip and Sam opened his mouth allowing Gabriel to take it completely over. Their tongues danced together as Gabriel pushed closer to Sam. They kissed like this for several minutes, before Gabriel pulled back and placed one last kiss to Sam’s lips and whispered goodnight. Sam blinked, but appreciated not being pushed into anything further. The last few days had been overwhelming, and he needed the time to adjust and figure out where this was going. He didn’t know how much he should tell Gabriel. He turned over as he thought about how that conversation might go. Obviously, Gabriel liked him, but how would he react to finding out Sam was actually in love with him? He knew that Gabriel had had multiple partners, had seen the women he had snapped up for himself, had met Kali and learned about their relationship. Would Gabriel be willing to even consider having a relationship with someone that wasn’t immortal? He had to admit that it seemed like that would suck for Gabriel. To know that he would outlive his lover, and watch them die. With Sam being a hunter, he would have an even shorter life than most. He finally told himself to get some sleep and stop obsessing for now. It still took him another 30 minutes, but he finally managed to fall asleep.

Gabriel watched Sam’s back and wished he knew what the hunter was thinking. Of course, if he wanted to he could read Sam’s mind easily, but he wouldn’t do that. Instead, for the first time in centuries, he prayed. He prayed to his father and asked him what to do. He talked to him the way he used to, before dad had left, back when they still took walks together, when dad would spend time showing him how to breathe life into stars. He told him about his journey with his hunter, about how he was afraid Sam could never fully accept him, his fear that Sam was only interested in a short-term relationship. He confessed to his father that even if all those things worked out, he had no idea how he would handle Sam’s death. That even now, without knowing if his love was returned, the thought of Sam dying made him consider the ways to destroy himself. His eyes filled with tears as he told his father that he didn’t want to die, but he didn’t know how to live without this hunter, this man who Gabriel had existed without for millions of years, but who now held the answer to a question he didn’t know he had. As Gabriel ended his prayer and dozed off to sleep, he didn’t expect an answer from the father that abandoned him, but he yearned for it anyways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My updates may be a bit sporadic as I'm going into finals, but I will do my best to update as often as I can.
> 
> I apologize for the bad moose joke, but I couldn't resist. Neither could Gabriel.
> 
> Fun fact: I actually could not decide what house to put Gabriel in, so I took to a poll on buzzfeed. After I voted I could see the percentages of everyone else's votes and it really was almost even on every house, which seems very fitting for him. It also made me feel not as bad for not being able to figure it out lol


	10. Not abandoned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...

Not actually a chapter, just letting anyone who's reading know I haven't abandoned this. My girlfriend killed herself and this was the first thing I've written that she read. I would read it to her when I posted new chapters, and she would get super impatient waiting for an update. I'm gonna try and write some tonight, because I do want to finish it. I've loved writing it so far, and I know she would want me to finish it.


End file.
